Mario Golf
Mario Golf (マリオゴルフ64 Mario Gorufu Rokujūyon) is a game developed by Camelot and released by Nintendo. The game was released initially for the Nintendo 64, but subsequently released on the Game Boy Color in 1999. The game was released again on the Virtual Console for the Wii and Nintendo 3DS in 2008 and 2012 respectively. Development Mario Golf began production in 1997 with Camelot's production of Everbody's Golf, a Golf game developed for the PlayStation. The game's engine was used for Mario Golf, and slightly altered to fit the Nintendo 64's capabilities. Camelot got the license to use ''Mario'' series, and used characters from the series in a new Golf title. The game also featured new characters introduced by Camelot for this game. The game uses the Transfer Pak accessory of the Nintendo 64. Using the Game Boy Color, a player can temporary use the characters they have unlocked on the Game Boy Color version of the game on the Nintendo 64 version of the game. These characters, as stated, are temporary however and are not saved to the cartridge.http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/076/076065p1.html Release Mario Golf was released initially on June 11 of 1999 for Japan. It was released in North America on July 26, 1999, and in the PAL Region in September 14, 1999. The game was subsequently released on the Game Boy Color system on August 10, 1999 for Japan. The game was released again on October 20 and 26 of the same year for North America and the PAL Region respectively. On September 30, 2008, the game was released for the Wii's virtual console for Japan. The game was then released on the North America and the PAL Region's virtual consoles on October 6, 2008 and January 23, 2009 respectively. The game was later released on the Nintendo 3DS's virtual console for Japan and North America. In Japan, this game was released on October 3, 2012, and in North America, this game was released on October 11, 2012.http://www.nintendo.com/whatsnew/detail/ngiGcGC-0d7mSVwou1SKkAECxOXNY4Yf Gameplay Mario Golf features a gameplay similar to that of regular Golf. In the game, the player character must launch their ball so many shots depending on the course's size. There are three types of holes: par 3, 4, and 5. Each of these types of courses determine the size and how many hits it takes to make a Par in the course. The game also sports a hud that shows the flag number, the distance the player's ball is from the hole, and other minor course information in the top-left corner. The top-right corner shows the wind direction, shown by the direction the Boo is facing. The lower portion of the hud features the power bar of the swing, the types of club(s) available to the player, and the amount of force put into the shot. The game features several Mario series characters, featuring Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Yoshi, Wario, and Bowser, among others. The game features several aspects that affect the player's performance while playing the game, such as rain and wind that vary on the force of each. In addition, the player can land their ball into several different types of areas, listed by roughness: out of bounds, waste areas, deep rough, bunkers, water hazards, rough, fairway, and putting green. In addition to the actual golf, a mini golf mode is also available for players to play. The mode is available from the beginning, and features thirty-six different holes of the letters of the alphabet, numbers 1-9, and a question mark. Reception Mario Golf received generally positive scores from critics. The game has been described as being "challenging" yet simple by requiring users to build their skills in golf and familiarize themselves with the courses and fields of play. The game's cartoony and subtle difficulty has been highly allotted and praised over the years, and the game earned a sequel in Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour. Scores from major publications: * Electronic Gaming Monthly — 8.12/10 * Famitsu — 32/40''ニンテンドウ64 - マリオゴルフ64''. Weekly Famitsu. No.915 Pt.2. Pg.27. 30 June 2006. * Game Informer — 9/10 * 'GamePro — 5/5 * GameRankings — 88%http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages4/197859.asp * GameSpot — 8.7/10http://www.gamespot.com/n64/sports/mariogolf/review.html * IGN — 8.3/10 * 'Metacritic — 91/100http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/n64/mariogolf?q=mario%20golf * Nintendo Power — 8.5/10 References Category:Games developed by Camelot Category:Games released in 1999 Category:Games released on the Nintendo 64 Category:Games released on the Game Boy Color Category:Sports games